Head of School Transition

No. The School's mission and core values have been developed to best define our purpose as an institution, guiding us in ensuring our commitment to those we serve is done with integrity. The School's mission and values will be essential in identifying viable candidates; the School seeks individuals who understand, support, and have the capacity to enhance our mission and core values. 

The MSR Board of Trustees will engage with a consulting firm in early 2026 to lead a national search for the School's next head of school. 

In partnership with the consulting firm, MSR's Board of Trustees seeks to identify the next head of school by Fall 2026 (to begin July 2027); the search will be ongoing until a candidate is identified as the next head of school. 

Along with their fiduciary responsibility to the institution, the selection of the head of school is one of the most important roles of the board of trustees. To begin the search process, the board will appoint a Search Committee to conduct the comprehensive work of the head of school search process. 

Search Committee members are deeply committed to the School's mission and values. Thoughtfully selected for a diverse set of experiences and points of view, Search Committee members have a strong degree of involvement within the school community. 

MSR & Carolina Prep Board of Trustees Vice President Dan Russo will serve as the HOS Search Committee Lead. A group of current and former trustees will also serve on the Search Committee; committee members will be announced in early 2026. 

The Search Committee will conduct the comprehensive work of the head of school search. Initially, the committee will be responsible for considering input from the school's constituent groups to define the qualities required for the next head of school. Then, in partnership with the consulting firm, the Search Committee will review candidate applications, interview viable candidates, host on-campus visit days for finalist candidates, speak with multiple references, and make a final recommendation to the board of trustees. 

Periodic communication from the Search Committee will be sent to the community throughout the search process. The School will respect the confidentiality of all candidates, while being as transparent as possible with the community. You will find updates on this page as the committee progresses. 

Yes, a group of non-trustees will serve as an advisory to the Search Committee and will be comprised of: faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and students. 

No. Monica Rodriguez will continue as head of school through June 2027.

Furthermore, the search process will not impact student programming or ongoing school operations.

Community input is valued by the Search Committee. Early in the search process, the Search Committee will reach out to the community for feedback that will help define the essential qualities of the School's next head of school. Later in the process, when finalist candidates visit our campuses, community invitations to meet the candidates will be shared; visits will be followed by a community feedback survey. Thank you for your input and support throughout this important process!